Principal Pharmacy Technician

Transformationunitgm; Stockport; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in Stockport seeks an experienced leader for a pharmacy distribution role. The successful candidate will manage daily operations, ensuring effective team function while upholding regulatory compliance. Ideal applicants will possess strong leadership skills and extensive pharmacy knowledge, with a minimum of five years in pharmacy management. This temporary position offers competitive benefits and aims to improve care within the local community.

Benefits

27-33 days of annual leave plus bank holidays

Salary sacrifice schemes for lease cars and home electronics

Cycle to work scheme

Salary finance for loans and budgeting

Local financial advice through Stockport Credit Union

Qualifications

• 5 years experience in line management within hospital pharmacy.
• Good knowledge about distribution processes.
• Examples of recruitment and appraisals.

Responsibilities

• Manage the pharmacy distribution team effectively.
• Ensure compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices.
• Communicate operational changes to staff.

Skills

Leadership

Conflict resolution

Communication

Pharmacy distribution knowledge

Education

Registered with GPHC

Accredited Accuracy Checker

Job description

There are lots of good reasons to choose to come and work at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. A dynamic integrated vision. Exactly the same qualities you’ll see in yourself. Stockport NHS Foundation Trust aims to be the organisation of choice for patients and an employer of choice for staff. In order to continually improve all aspects of our patient experience, we rely upon having a highly skilled, motivated, diverse, productive and patient focused workforce.

Stockport Foundation Trust is one of four ‘specialist’ hospital sites in Greater Manchester. Being a ‘specialist’ hospital will enhance our general surgery, anaesthetics, critical care and emergency medicine for the benefit of people in Stockport, High Peak, Cheshire and across Greater Manchester.

In your application for this post, please describe how your experience and skills align with ‘Our values-based behaviours’ ( see additional documentation) and provide examples.

Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

As well as recognising previous NHS service, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust is a member of the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. If you are currently employed by Greater Manchester Local Authority, Combined Authority, GMFRS, TfGM as well as other public service organisations, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust will recognise your previous service for sickness and maternity/paternity/adoption entitlement and also for annual leave purposes (providing there has been no break in service). If you currently work for one of the above organisations and successfully apply for a post with Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, please ensure the Recruitment team are aware so that this service is reflected in your contract of employment.

Job overview

This position is a temporary uplift for 1 year from a band 6 to a band 7. The post holder will continue their current band 6 job alongside managing the pharmacy distribution team.

Main duties of the job

Current band 6 duties plus managing the pharmacy distribution team. This includes managing staff recruitment, sickness and supporting the senior pharmacy support worker in the day to day running of the distribution team.

Working for our organisation

We hold a unique position in the Stockport community as the provider of healthcare and we are one of its largest employers.

We believe that the best organisations are those that reflect the communities they serve. We are therefore seeking to improve the diversity of our workforce to make it truly representative of our local population.

We actively encourage applications irrespective of race, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage & civil partnership, or pregnancy or maternity. Recognising those communities that are underrepresented within our workforce, we would particularly welcome applications from you.

If you require support with your application please contact a member of the recruitment team, who can discuss alternative application methods.

We recognise that flexible working is important. We take requests for flexible working seriously, consider any request we receive and try to work with you, so we can explore if your request may fit with the needs of the service.

Benefits we offer to you:

• Between 27-33 days of annual leave plus bank holidays
• Salary sacrifice schemes for lease cars, home electronics and more, to make your salary go further
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary finance – for loans, savings, budget planning and tips on managing debt
• Stockport Credit Union– for local financial advice

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• To be responsible for the day to day running of the staff in the distribution team
• To ensure the service provided by the distribution team runs effectively and efficiently to wards, departments and customers
• To work alongside the lead pharmacy technician in procurement
• To assist the chief pharmacy technician in any datix’s or complaints that need input
• Acts as a technical role model working to a high standard
• Co‑operates with the chief pharmacy technician and all other pharmacy staff in providing and developing an efficient and comprehensive Pharmaceutical Service for the patients of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

Communications

• To communicate and explain any service operational changes within the department to staff
• In absence of the Chief Pharmacy Technician communicates directly with HR eg; sickness absence, staff issues
• Communicates directly with Occupational Health
• Communicates with patients/carers/staff/other healthcare professional and external customers
• Able to deal with queries of a complex nature

Responsibility for Patient Care

• Maintains an effective and efficient dispensing and drug distribution service to patients’ wards departments and outside hospitals/clinics serviced by the pharmacy at Stepping Hill Hospital.

• Ensures compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice/Medicines legislation

• Performs a final ‘accuracy check on prescriptions and orders which have previously been clinically checked by a pharmacist and in accordance with Trust procedures and ensures dispensing errors are corrected by the appropriate member of staff.

Planning and organising

• To work alongside the senior pharmacy support worker when preparing rotas for the week, weekends and bank holidays
• To ensure there is adequate portering to deliver all the boxes and fluids
• To work closely with all specialist pharmacy technicians in the pharmacy department
• Delegates appropriately

Responsibilities for Physical and / or Financial Resources

• Maintains safety and security within the pharmacy department
• Liases with the procurement team with regards to short dated stock
• Provides to the distribution team information regarding availability of pharmacy stock
• Ensure that the requirements for Health and Safety are met
• Ensure the distribution are of pharmacy stores is kept tidy
• At all times to practice in accordance with the Code of Ethics General Pharmaceutical counsel
• To participate in any new arrangements that may involve flexible working eg; extended hours or 7 day service
• To participate in emergency duties according to local agreement

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development and Implementation

• Develops and implements policies and procedures relating to distribution services
• Assists the chief pharmacy technician to ensure the WDA is kept up to date
• To ensure distribution work is carried out in accordance with agreed procedures for the safe and secure handling of medicines within the trust

Responsibilities for Human Resources and Leadership

• To provide effective leadership to all staff working within the pharmacy distribution team
• To ensure annual leave requests are dealt with correctly
• To play an active role in the recruitment process for pharmacy distribution staff
• To ensure all pharmacy support workers within the team have an annual appraisal
• Responsible for ensuring trust policies for sickness are followed
• Undertakes any other duties which is deemed appropriate by the Chief Pharmacy Technician

Responsibilities for Teaching and Training

• To support and deliver the necessary training to staff within the distribution team
• To ensure that training records are developed and maintained for all pharmacy support workers working within the pharmacy distribution team
• To ensure effective stock rotation is taking place

Responsibilities for data and information resources

• Ensures that all documentation relating to the issue of medicines is maintained and the required information is required for statistical purposes.
• Analyse and check data in any specialist area when an audit trail is necessary for problem solving or tracking down a product etc.
• Uses the computer system to its full potential patient information details.

Research, Development and Audit

• To participate in projects of a research nature

Physical Skills and Effort

• Able to lift boxes within the distribution area

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and promote safeguarding by implementing the Trust’s policies and procedures, acting promptly on concerns, communicating effectively and sharing information appropriately.

If successful this vacancy will require an enhanced DBS check at a cost of £54.90. This cost will be deducted from your first Trust salary
In addition to this it will be a condition of your employment that you will join the DBS update service and pay the annual subscription fee of £16.

‘Before applying for a secondment opportunity please familiarise yourself with the Trust secondment policy (found on the intranet) and ensure that you have discussed and gained approval from your current line manager’

Person specification

Education and Qualification

• Registered with GPHC
• Accredited Accuracy Checker

Knowledge

• Good level of knowledge about Distribution

Experience

• Examples of recruitment and appraisals
• Ability to negotiate, deal with conflict and complaints
• Minimum 5 years experience in line management within hospital pharmacy
• Previous audit or project management work

Skills and Abilities

• Example of good leadership
• Able to complete tasks and objectives to consistently high standards
• Able to lead and work as part of a team

Applicants are encouraged to read the documents attached to this vacancy before applying, including the job description and person specification and the information for applicants which includes useful information to assist you in completing your application.

From time to time we may need to close a vacancy early when in receipt of a sufficient number of applications. If you are interested in this post and wish to be considered, we strongly advise you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

Please note that all correspondence will be via your NHS Jobs account. Unfortunately we are not able to acknowledge each application. If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please consider that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion. Please also note that Stockport NHS Foundation Trust are unable to refund Interview expenses or re-location costs.

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust is committed to promoting and championing a culture of diversity, fairness and equality for all applicants and employees. Applications are welcomed from all backgrounds and we strive to reflect the community we serve in our diverse workforce. Our "two tick" kite mark guarantees a candidate with a disability, who fulfills the essential criteria, an interview at the Trust. We can make reasonable adjustments, and offer support and advice in a variety of ways on request.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

The vacancy may close early if it attracts a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.